Recruitment Manager Amanda Zetah shares her personal story of a loved one struggling with addiction and how Khesed is addressing access to addiction therapy and promoting diversity among addiction therapists.
Someone I love struggles with substance misuse and addiction.
I have watched her battle stigmatization and lack of access to care due to her race and background. She has been justice-involved in ways that were unjust.
No matter how hard she tried to escape her addiction, she felt overwhelmed by shame and guilt and stuck in a system that didn’t see her. People have stigmatized her “problem” without acknowledging that addiction is a chronic health condition, similar to that of hypertension or diabetes. Substance use addiction can develop from the repeated use of various drugs, including alcohol, opioids, marijuana, stimulants, and sedatives, among others. Her addiction isn’t her fault, yet systems have made her feel that way.
How did she cope? She returned to her addiction as a source of comfort. She couldn’t afford therapy, she didn’t see herself in the few therapists covered by Medicaid, and they weren’t accepting new clients for at least six months. Access to affordable therapy by a therapist who sees her and understands her substance use addiction would have transformed her life. Outpatient substance use recovery treatment is one of the most significant mental health gaps and one that Khesed Wellness will help address.
Did you know that the Denver Metro area had higher rates of alcohol and drug use than the state average? According to a recent report by the Colorado Health Institute, about 80,000 Coloradans didn’t receive needed substance use treatment in 2021 because of stigma and lack of affordability.
Khesed has partnered with Caring for Denver Foundation to provide 24 free mental health therapy sessions for those pursuing recovery from substance use addictions. This translates to about one year of free therapy sessions for 100 Denver residents.
Khesed’s generosity toward clients also invites opportunities to support therapists. In fact, what makes Khesed unique is how we support our therapists. The cost of the training and supervision required to become a Licensed Addiction Counselor in Colorado is significant, and there is a lack of diversity among addiction therapists. Khesed’s ethic is to center the marginalized so we can all thrive. This program will diversify our available therapists and current resources so clients can be seen by therapists who mirror them.
Our Addiction Therapist Program will support therapists eager to pursue their LAC licensure – 60% of therapist participants will represent marginalized identities, 30% of therapist participants will represent trauma-informed and evidenced-based treatment for individuals, couples, and families navigating substance use recovery, and 10% of therapist participants will be Spanish speakers. Pre-licensed and licensed therapists are invited to apply. We are also hiring an underrepresented Program Lead who currently holds an active LAC license. The Program Lead will develop, facilitate, and support the Addiction Therapist Program.
This program is different. It’s powerful. If my family member could have accessed this program, she may have understood the causes of her addiction, developed coping strategies to prevent relapse, made positive changes in her behavior and relationships, and improved her overall quality of life. Successful treatment of addiction requires ongoing management and support so that clients can maintain long-term healing and avoid relapse. If you or someone you know may benefit from these services and are actively pursuing recovery for their substance use addiction, schedule an appointment with us.
We believe clients and therapists thrive when outpatient mental health therapy is affordable, reciprocal and sustainable. We want those in recovery to know they are not alone in their recovery. We are here.